JAGATSINGHPUR: A woman was set afire by her in-laws over dowry demand in Kajiapatna village under Jagatsinghpur police limits on Monday. The deceased is Swarnalata Sahoo of Atamala village under Jagatsinghpur police limits.She had married Gautam Moharana of Kajipapata village in 2013. Although her parents had provided cash and household items as dowry during the marriage, Moharana’s family members demanded `5 lakh more. When Swarnalata’s father expressed his inability to pay the cash, they started torturing her.
On Monday morning, there was a heated exchange of words between Swarnalata and her in-laws following which, they beat her to death. To present the death as a case of suicide, they poured kerosene on her and set the body afire. Locals informed the police, who seized the body and sent it for postmortem. Husband Moharana, his father Purna Chandra and mother Sanjukta have been arrested.
In another incident, a newly married woman Sushree Sangita Mallick (22) hailing from Kurtang under Raghunathpur police limits allegedly committed suicide on Sunday night following a fight with her husband. She had accused her husband Jagannath Mallick of Kopal village of having an illicit affair with a woman of Bargarh.
Her father Siba Prasad Mallick alleged that there was a dispute between the husband and wife from last few months following which, his daughter was staying in his house. “They had a quarrel over the mobile phone this morning following which, she took the extreme step by hanging herself from the ceiling fan,” he said.